The luxury-class Cormorant catamaran is sleek, fast and stable – perfect for taking a Galapagos tour in style. The 16-passenger yacht offers 8 generous and comfortable accommodations that each preserve the relaxed exclusivity of a smaller vessel cruising the Galapagos Islands. Plus, the friendly well-trained 11-member crew (including a bilingual naturalist guide to lead excursions onto the islands), the delicious menus of Ecuadorian and international cuisine, and the ship’s pure comfort combine to make the Cormorant a great choice for the ultimate island holidays. This 5-day/4-night Galapagos cruise will take you through the central islands of the archipelago, offering you a chance to explore rocky lava terrain, walk through lush forests teeming with birdlife, and snorkel in crystal waters full of unique and endemic marine life. Sailing on board the luxury-class Cormorant catamaran, your appreciation of the wonders of the world will be transformed on this Galapagos Island tour.

Testimonials

“We booked our Galapagos/Peru trip through Surtrek and are very glad that we did.”A. Arima

Cormorant Catamaran: Detailed Itinerary

AM: In the morning, you will fly from Quito or Guayaquil (on the Ecuadorian mainland) to Baltra Island, in the heart of Galapagos archipelago and the main point of entrance to this natural paradise. Upon your arrival at the airport, you will need to pay the national park entry fee, which goes to protecting both the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve. A member of the ship's crew will welcome you and accompany you to your yacht: the M/C Cormorant.

PM: This afternoon, we will disembark onto the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island, where we will visit the long and sandy Bachas Beach, one of the most important nesting beaches for sea turtles. Here you can find flamingos, Black-winged stilts, sea lions, herons, marine iguanas, and — with a little bit of luck — tiny Galapagos penguins. In addition, this beach is one of the main nesting sites of sea turtles in the Galapagos. A female can lay eggs 3 or 4 times with an average of 70 eggs each, but they then spend 3 to 5 years without breeding. At this paradisiacal site, we will also find the remains of barges that sank long ago, once the property of the United States Navy when they operated an airbase on Baltra Island during World War II. That is why the beach is called “Bachas” because the word “barges” in English was hard to pronounce for the local people. You will also have the opportunity to swim on this soft white sand beach or explore the fascinating underwater by snorkeling.

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Lunch - Dinner

Day 2 - Sunday

Bartolome Island: Pinnacle Rock // Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay

AM: Upon arriving on Bartolomé Island, you will discover a fascinating moonscape formed by various volcanic formations — lava bombs, spatter, cinder cones — as we hike to the island’s summit for striking views of the surrounding islands, Sullivan Bay and the towering Pinnacle Rock. As the beaches at the foot of the Pinnacle Rock boast some of the finest snorkeling in the islands, you can discover a marvelous underwater world there and have a good chance of finding sea turtles gliding gently alongside you. On the rocks beneath Pinnacle Rock, it’s quite possible to spot some of the quick-as-an-arrow Galapagos penguins. At around 25 centimeters tall, this is second smallest species of penguin in the world. Likewise, you’re likely to see harmless Whitetip reef sharks sunning in these waters. For many visitors, this may turn out to be the best of snorkeling experiences; the water here is generally clear, without too much surf and full of marine life.

PM: In the afternoon we will land on the fourth largest island in the Galapagos: Santiago Island, also known as “James Island” or “San Salvador Island.” The old rusted machines and run-down buildings of former salt mine workers are still apparent on the island, though the last attempts to populate Santiago Island were given up on forty years ago. Sullivan Bay is located on the eastern coast of Santiago Island. Its lava field, covered with lava cactuses, has a variety of interesting patterns of important geologic interest. You will be able to observe the contrasting lava landscapes from an older eruption and a newer one formed during the last quarter of the 19th century. After exploring these lava flows, you can swim or snorkel with playful sea lions.

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Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 3 - Monday

South Plaza Island // Santa Fe Island

AM: Today we will explore South Plaza Island, located east of Santa Cruz Island. After a dry landing on the northern part of this life-filled islet, you will encounter colonies of sea lions and land iguanas. While on the steep banks you can see numbers of birds like nesting Tropicbirds and Fork-tailed seagulls, but most of all, you will enjoy the beautiful views from either atop the steep banks or while strolling along the base of the cliff. Opuntia cactuses grow on this island and the vegetation changes color throughout the year.

PM: Today we will visit Santa Fe Island, a small rocky island covered in small Palo Santo trees and six-meter-high opuntia cactuses. The island is inhabited mainly by large yellow land iguanas, Galapagos buzzards, Blue-footed boobies, and pelicans. While snorkeling in the wonderful blue-green bay in which the ship anchors, you can observe the many inhabitants of this underwater world, including countless tropical fish, rays, sea turtles and playful sea lions.

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Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 4 - Tuesday

San Cristobal Island: Cerro Brujo – Punta Pitt

AM: This morning we will make a wet landing on San Cristobal Island to visit Cerro Brujo, a fascinating lava hill located on the northeastern coast of San Cristobal Island with exceptional views of Kicker Rock, the southern part of San Cristobal and the adjacent coast. On the rocks, you can observe Blue-footed boobies, seagulls, Black-necked Stilts, Ruddy Turnstones, Whimbrels, other sandpiper species, White-cheeked pintails and some pelicans. The protected bay is also popular among young sea turtles and rays, which makes swimming and snorkeling particularly exciting here.

PM: In the afternoon we will visit Punta Pitt, on the eastern side of San Cristobal Island. After a high-intensity hike on rocky terrain along a 1.4 km-long path and several magnificent lookout points, you will make your way through colonies of Frigatebirds and Fork-tailed seagulls. What’s more, this is probably the only site in the world where you can see all three species of boobies – Masked, Red- and Blue-footed ones. In addition to its great range of seabirds, Punta Pitt is also excellent for dinghy rides and snorkeling.

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Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 5 - Wednesday

San Cristobal Island: Lobos Island – Airport

AM: In the morning, we will visit Lobos Island, located across from San Cristobal Island. This is a seasonal nesting location for Blue-footed boobies and Frigatebirds. You also can enjoy swimming and snorkeling with sea lions in the island’s calm bay.

PM: From the dock on San Cristobal Island, we will take a short bus ride to the airport for your flight back to the mainland. Enjoy the last view of the “enchanted islands,” a unique paradise with fascinating natural highlights.